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Aquila, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Aquila [Lat.,=the eagle], equatorial constellation located N of Sagittarius and Capricornus, lying partly in the Milky Way. It is sometimes depicted as an eagle. It contains the bright star Altair (Al...

Io, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Io īˈō [key], in astronomy, one of the 39 known moons, or natural satellites, of Jupiter. Io is subject to Jupiter's enormous tidal forces and is, as a result, the most volcanically active body in ...

Juno, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Juno jo͞oˈnō [key], in astronomy, 3d asteroid to be discovered. It was found in 1804 by C. Harding. It has a diameter of c.120 mi (190 km). Its average distance from the sun is 2.67 astronomical un...

Jupiter, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Jupiter jo͞oˈpətər [key], in astronomy, 5th planet from the sun and largest planet of the solar system. Astronomers have discovered 79 satellites orbiting Jupiter, but five of those, small sate...

Leo, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Leo [Lat.,=the lion], northern constellation lying S of Ursa Major and on the ecliptic (apparent path of the sun through the heavens) between Cancer and Virgo; it is one of the constellations of the z...

Larissa, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Larissa, in astronomy, one of the natural satellites, or moons, of Neptune. ...

Leda, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Leda lēˈdə [key], in astronomy, one of the 39 known moons, or natural satellites, of Jupiter. ...

Epimetheus, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Epimetheus, in astronomy, one of the named moons, or natural satellites, of Saturn. Also known as Saturn XI (or S11), Epimetheus is an irregularly shaped (nonspherical) body measuring about 89 mi (144...

Europa, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Europa yo͝orōˈpə [key], in astronomy, one of the 39 known moons, or natural satellites, of Jupiter. Magnetic-field data collected by the space probe Galileo in 2002 strongly indicated a liquid-wat...
 

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